


The Art of Gift-Giving

by softintelligence



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's
Genre: Gen, YGO Secret Santa
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-20
Updated: 2012-12-20
Packaged: 2017-11-21 16:42:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,809
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/599912
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/softintelligence/pseuds/softintelligence
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jack felt like he'd been tagging along with Yusei and Crow this whole time. Yusei and Crow were natural talents, but all Jack had were gangly limbs and a good sprint, and that was only because he had turned thirteen and had hit puberty. He was sure that someday Crow and Yusei would grow as tall as him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Art of Gift-Giving

**Author's Note:**

> Written for @[yyugi](http://yyugi.tumblr.com).tumblr for the ygosecretsanta exchange! 
> 
> Their prompt was: “Yuusei, Jack and Crow Christmas at Martha’s house when they were young.”

Jack made a list.

It was on a piece of scrap paper, with Yusei and Crow's names scrawled at the top, a semi-straight line separating their names. Under Yusei's name, Jack had written: wrench, screws, cars. Under Crow's name, Jack had written: bird feathers??, birds??

He'd spent the last week sneaking around the droopy-looking tree in Martha's living room, trying to shake his presents, but every time he even got close, Martha would shoo him away and he would hide under the stairs until she went back upstairs or outside. 

There were two presents for him under the tree. One was from Martha, but Jack knew what those would be. New socks, or new t-shirts, and sometimes, if it was a good year, a new pair of jeans. She had been getting him new clothes for Christmas as long as he could remember. He didn't mind. With a limited number of outfits in his wardrobe, he appreciated all the clothes she made for him, especially the pants.

A couple of weeks ago, Crow had stepped in between Jack and another kid from the orphanage, who had apparently come from a wealthy family. He'd been making fun of Jack for the rips in his jeans. Crow had overheard him and punched the kid in the face. Unfortunately, the other kid knew how to fight, too, because Crow had lost one of his teeth and now had a big gap in his smile.

The other gift said, "From: Crow & Yusei." He hadn't expected that. They couldn't afford presents, so they didn't expect any--especially not from each other. They just spent the day together and ate milk and cookies.

Jack stared at his list and rolled over in the bunk bed. He could hear Crow sleeping in the bunk bed below him, quietly. There were only two days left till Christmas. How could he get something now? Did he have to get one gift for Yusei and one gift for Crow?

At least Yusei and Crow had--talents. Yusei could make things with any scrap piece of metal he could find. He knew how engines worked. Crow could steal, especially from rich businessmen who visited the power plants. Most of the time, he stole technology and sold it to the black market and bought fresh bread home, but sometimes, a businessman would bring his kid along and Crow could steal a toy here, a toy there. 

But Jack ... 

Jack felt like he'd been tagging along with Yusei and Crow this whole time. Yusei and Crow were natural talents, but all Jack had were gangly limbs and a good sprint, and that was only because he had turned thirteen and had hit puberty. He was sure that someday Crow and Yusei would grow as tall as him. 

Jack folded the list up and replaced it in the crack between his bed and the wall and rolled onto his side. Yusei hadn't come home yet, but he normally stayed out late. He was always at some junkyard or another, digging through the piles of cold steel and metal with only a light jacket and a pair of gloves with holes torn in them.

Jack closed his eyes. He wondered what Yusei and Crow had gotten him, and how could he possibly compare to that--whatever "that" was?

*

The day before Christmas Eve, Yusei and Crow decided to go out and find last minute preparations for Christmas dinner. "I'm going to go haggle for a chicken," Crow said to Jack, when Jack peered down at him from the top bunk.

"I'm going to look for my lights," Yusei said. "The junkyard usually has a lot of broken Christmas lights that we can set up around the house."

Jack nodded mutely and waited until he heard the front door close behind Yusei and Crow's footfall as he hopped outside from the window. Jack thought he was going to break an arm trying to fly one day.

He climbed down the ladder of the bunk bed and found Martha. "Martha," he said quietly. "I need to make Christmas gifts for Yusei and Crow."

"Hmm," Martha said, frowning. "It's a little late to be considering gifts, isn't it?"

Jack frowned. "Maybe I could make something," he mumbled. "Like ... gloves." Both Yusei and Crow needed them, after all. Their hands were full of callouses. Yusei was worse; he was the one who was constantly wrapping his hands in bandages when he went out to the junkyard. Jack was convinced he would get tetanus someday. 

"That sounds like a fine idea," Martha said, smiling. She patted his head and Jack tried not to grumble. He was getting too old to have his head patted. 

She helped him with the knitting needles and the wool. She had an array of colors, gifts from neighbors and mothers who asked her to care for their children because they couldn't afford to themselves. Jack had originally chosen purple for both of them, but Martha had scolded him. "Purple isn't their favorite colors, Jack." Well, why weren't they, he thought, but he chose gold for Yusei and teal for Crow. 

He spent all afternoon knitting them. He had to start over several times. One of the mittens would be too big, another would be too small. Sometimes, the fingers would end up too strange looking. Eventually, Jack gave up and made them giant mittens without separate finger slots. 

"Martha," Jack said. "Help me wrap them!" When Martha shot him a look, he scuffed his feet against the floor. "Please."

"That's better," Martha said. 

"This time, it should be purple wrapping paper." 

Martha rolled her eyes. "How did you get so demanding?" she asked, but she pulled out the purple tissue paper and the bright purple wrapping paper and the bright purple ribbons, and Jack smiled as he enveloped the mittens in the tissues.

"Wait," Jack said. 

Martha looked at him, a little impatiently this time. "Yes, Jack?"

Jack furrowed his brow. "Do you think ... they'll like it?"

"Of course," Martha said. "They're like your brothers."

Jack swallowed. "The present they got for me ..." 

"Don't compare presents," Martha said, and slapped him in the head.

He slipped the presents under the tree, but he could barely look at his own present, so neatly wrapped, and when he tried to sleep that night, all he could do was toss and turn.

*

The afternoon of Christmas Eve, Martha made them eggnog. Crow didn't like the taste, but both Yusei and Jack did--and they drank the whole batch down in only a few hours. Martha chased them around the room with a broomstick until they promised not to down the eggnog so quickly next time. 

Their other punishment were the huge stomachaches they got later. Crow laughed at them, but he let Jack lay down in his bed so he didn't have to climb the top bunk. When Crow left, he returned with two warm water bottles, which Jack applied to his stomach. It only helped a little, but Crow had a scrape on his knee for his trouble.

"Are you excited?" Crow asked. 

Jack turned his head. "Your gift probably sucks," he muttered.

Crow snorted. "Your gift probably sucks!"

"No it doesn't!" Jack roared, turning to grab Crow's shirt with his fist. His stomach stung in pain and he fell back down on the bed.

"Stop it, you two," Yusei said. He turned and looked at Jack, his forehead furrowed. "It's the thought that goes into the present that counts."

"Shut up, Yusei!" Jack and Crow shouted, at the same time. But Crow didn't mention the presents again. 

Instead, he said, "I hope Martha makes almond cookies." 

"I want peppermint bark," Yusei said. 

Jack cursed himself. He should have thought about buying chocolate or baking instead of knitting. At least peppermint bark and almond cookies were affordable, or at least--he could make the almond cookies and ask around for the peppermint bark. 

"What about you, Jack?" Crow asked. He sat down on the edge of the bed next to Jack's feet. "You always want those fancy pastries, right?"

"They're little cakes," Jack said, out of the side of his mouth. "I don't want any." 

"Don't be embarrassed." Crow grinned and reached over to ruffle his hair. "I'll try to get you a cake or two."

"No!" Jack jerked away and curled up into a little ball. "Stop!" 

"Oi, you're always so annoying." The bed lifted as Crow got up off the bed. "I'm gonna sleep in your bed tonight!"

"Remember to wake us up for the gifts," Yusei said, sleepily.

Crow shut the light off. "Goodnight," he said. Jack heard the slight creak of the steps up to his bunk bed as Crow climbed up them. "See you losers tomorrow."

"Shut up," Jack said, half-heartedly.

"Heh." Crow started to say something, but a yawn cut him off, and he settled into the sheets. Soon, his breathing started evening out. 

Jack listened for Yusei's breathing, too. Yusei always took a bit longer to fall asleep, but when he did, he was asleep like clockwork, and wouldn't wake up until six or seven hours later.

Jack stared at the wall and ran his hands over the scratches in the wall. Crow had written his name, over and over again, in that cramped kana. Jack could see where Crow had written ケ (ke) instead of ク (ku). Kero instead of Kurou. As though he were some sort of frog.

Jack laughed a little into Crow's pillow, and then he felt bad. The first time he'd learned to write his name, he'd felt proud, too. He'd written it over and over and over again, like a well-worn winter scarf, until Martha told him to stop or he'd get sick of his name. 

But he knew he never would. His name was the only thing he had left to hold onto. It told him who he was. And the more well-worn it was, the more Yusei and Crow called for him, the more he knew that he wasn't alone. 

Jack stared blankly in the darkness at the etching of Crow's name. 

He should have tried harder. The mittens he knitted now, compared to whatever Crow and Yusei got him, must be useless.

Jack spent the rest of the night wondering if he should just throw the presents away.

*

In the end, Jack woke up to Martha yelling into their room. "Boys, get up! Christmas breakfast!" Jack rolled out of Crow's bed, glad he didn't have to climb down the bunk bed for once. He yawned. 

After they brushed their teeth, they ran to the breakfast table. Despite their shortage of resources, Martha always managed to scrape up a good-sized breakfast. Pancake plates for everyone, along with baked hashbrowns and scrambled eggs. This year, Martha made egg benedict as well. 

"Thank you, Martha!" they chorused as they sat down at their places. Jack carefully cut his food into little bits before he ate them. Crow scarfed down as quickly as possible, eating with only one direction: to clear his plate. Yusei ate like a robot, as usual, eating his food in a clockwise fashion. 

"It's almost time to open presents!" Crow grinned at his plate. "Hurry up, Yusei! Jack!" 

"Shut up," Jack grumbled into his eggs. 

"I'm almost done," Yusei said, but when Jack looked, Yusei hadn't even started on the hashbrowns yet, and was just going through his pancakes.

By the time Yusei had finished polishing his plate with the scrambled eggs, Crow had decided he was going back to sleep. Jack had sat there, patiently, watching Yusei eat. 

"I hope you like the gift," Yusei said. "Crow and I worked really hard."

Jack felt the tips of his ears go pink. He nodded mutely. 

Yusei got up and helped Martha clear the table. "Go on," Martha said. "I'll wash the dishes. Open your presents to each other."

Jack shuffled his way to the living room, surprised to see Crow sitting in front of the tree. He was blinking sleepily, perched in front of the tree. In his lap, he held his and Yusei's present to Jack.

"Jack! Open your present!" 

Jack grumbled. He sat down in front of Crow. Yusei sat down next to Crow, their knees bumping, and Jack wanted to go back to bed. Why did they have to decide to get him a present together? 

Crow pushed the present to him. "Come on, open it!" 

Should he? Or should they open his presents first ... But it would seem like, no matter what, his presents wouldn't match up to this present. 

"Jack," Yusei said, and Jack frowned a little. "Crow and I have been working on this present for a while now."

Jack wanted to sink into the floor. He took the present and carefully unwrapped it from the top to the bottom, like opening an egg from the outside. He could see the material, but he still couldn't figure it out what it was: all he saw was the rustic red, the irregular shapes and angles, until--

"It's Red Demon's Dragon!" Crow yelled, jumping to his feet. "Yusei and I worked for weeks! I took the parts and it yells!"

Yusei nodded in agreement. 

Jack stared at it. It was a little metal Red Demon's Dragon, its wings bent at weird angles, but the metal had been painted or dyed red. Jack touched the top of its head, but apparently Yusei had soldered it well enough that it stayed together.

"Look," Yusei said, and reached out to touch it between the wings. A staticy, roaring noise erupted from the dragon, and Jack felt something between joy at his gift and shame at the gift he had got them. 

"Do you not like it?" Crow asked, staring down at Jack.

"That's ... not it," Jack said. He scooped his hands around the toy and picked it up, placing it on his knee. "I don't dislike it."

"He likes it," Yusei said matter-of-factly. "You know how Jack is."

Jack scowled at Red Demon's Dragon and pressed the button between its wings again. It roared petulantly. 

"You got gifts for us too, right?" Crow asked, digging around under the tree, until he found the wrapped packages. "We should open them now." Yusei took his and started to tear the paper apart. 

Jack's face flushed. "No! Don't open them!" He reached out, but Yusei held his hands away from Jack. "Don't! I--I got you two the wrong gifts, so--" 

But they weren't listening. Crow tore into his gift like he'd torn into breakfast, until Crow and Yusei were holding their respectively colored mittens in their hands. 

They didn't say anything, and Jack wondered what he was going to do. If he could face them later. Maybe he could ask Martha to let him sleep in a new room. Or he could just leave. It wasn't like he couldn't do it on his own. Jack went through the list of things he'd take with him. Would they let him take their gift, would they--

"I know what you're thinking," Yusei said. "I." He got up, suddenly, and Jack braced himself, but Yusei bowed at the waist. "Thank you. I'll treasure them." He pulled the gloves on. Jack saw that some of the golden wool had come loose. "It looks great."

"This is going to keep my hands really warm," Crow said, flexing his hands in the gloves. "And it even matches my hairband!" He grinned. "Didn't know you were a fashionista, Jack!" 

Jack stared at the ground. 

"We love them," Yusei said. "We should have thought of something practical like this."

Jack didn't need them to validate him, to lie to him. He took the Red Demon's Dragon and placed it carefully back in the pile of wrapping paper. He hopped to his feet and prepared to leave, but both Yusei and Crow threw their arms around Jack's neck, pinning him to the ground. 

"You can't leave," Yusei said, very seriously. "We haven't eaten cookies yet."

"Oiii." Crow grinned. "Why do you always have to be so dramatic?"

Jack felt a headache coming on. "I can't breathe," he said, but that was a lie. He'd been breathing easier than he had for the last few weeks. "Get off me, Crow! Yusei!" He struggled, but only half-heartedly so.

Crow patted his forehead. The wool was soft and smooth, warm. "You're gonna keep me from freezing my fingers off this winter."

"Whatever," Jack said. "I hope you lose a finger." 

Crow rolled his eyes and grinned.

Yusei and Crow liked them. They really liked them.

"Merry Christmas," Jack mumbled, and Yusei and Crow shouted back, "Merry Christmas, Jack!" and he didn't feel quite so left out anymore. 

*

(As for Martha's gifts, she made them all matching knit hats. 

They refused to wear them.)

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for the great prompt, and hope you enjoy!


End file.
